


Family Man

by Close_enough_to_lose



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Fluff, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-05
Updated: 2017-05-05
Packaged: 2018-10-28 07:27:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,715
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10826598
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Close_enough_to_lose/pseuds/Close_enough_to_lose
Summary: It's hard to coach a bunch of overdramatic skaters, but in the end, it is worth it. (AKA a Yakov appreciation fic)





	Family Man

Yakov was never a family man. He learned it the hard way through his tumultuous relationship with Lilia. He did not know why it never worked out, and he was not sure he wanted to. Some things were not meant to be answered. He was just glad their falling out did not have any collateral damage. They had no kids, and he had to thank Lilia’s dedication to her career as a ballerina for that. She was entirely committed to her vocation. In hindsight, he told himself that Lilia and he would have made terrible parents. The poor unborn bastards were lucky. The way things ended between them was for the best.  Yakov was better off not being responsible for another human being. And yet, each day he came to the rink to coach, he felt something tug at him.

Sure, his students could be hopeless idiots from time to time, and when they were not, they were either loud, or disobedient, or arrogant, or all three at once instead -- so much that Yakov sometimes wanted to tear his hair out -- but he still cared for them. Despite their antics, he knew that his efforts as a coach paid off. Whenever a skater broke a record, or simply felt like they accomplished a lifelong dream, Yakov would forget the frustrating moments and feel immensely proud. After all, he cared for his skaters.

As years passed, Yakov came to appreciate his students more than simply as skaters, but also as people. Maybe it was him maturing as a coach, or maybe he was growing soft. He was not sure which it was. Either way, he learned over time that his duties as a coach extended to more than yelling instructions or preparing choreographies for his students. To understand who they were on ice, he needed to understand who they were off the ice as well. That required of Yakov to be in touch with his emotions as well as those of others, which he was not good at, but he tried his best. He even grew to appreciate some of the skaters’ shenanigans as well, though he would never admit it.

He realized exactly how crucial his role as an emotional support was when Victor was losing motivation after a fourth gold medal. He had coached students with emotional problems in the past, but it was the first time that such a problem slipped past his radar. Victor could be disobedient, overdramatic and arrogant, but he still was Yakov’s best skater. Seeing him going through motions and performing perfect jumps without emotion broke Yakov’s heart. He watched Victor choreograph a routine for his next season. There was a yearning, a despair that he did not see develop in the skater, and he berated himself for not noticing his deteriorating morale before.

_\---_

_“Victor, you need to tell me what's going on. I want to help you”_

_“Ah, Yakov, since when were you so caring?”_

_He ignored his student’s remark. He had no patience for Victor’s sarcastic tone._

_“Quit playing games Victor. I want to know. Your technique is brilliant as usual, but I can tell there is something wrong with your emotions. Tell me… Please.”_

_Victor was surprised to see Yakov’s expression soften like that. Yakov never begged, he only ordered. Before Victor knew it, he was pouring his heart out to Yakov._

_“I’m losing inspiration. I’m tired of surprising everyone. I dedicated so much of my life to skating, that I haven’t lived. I don’t have long left on the ice, but I have nothing else in my life beside skating. Yakov … I don’t know what to do.”_

_Yakov was certainly not used to deal with existential crises. He tried his best to comfort him by putting a hand on his shoulder._

_“Oh Vitya… I’m really sorry. I should have noticed before. I don’t have any immediate solutions, but we can figure out, after the Grand Prix Final, what to do, okay? We can talk it out then. For now, is there any way you can use your emotions to propel your skating? Have you chosen a theme which will help you process them?”_

_“Yes. My theme is loneliness.”_

_“Vitya. I want you to know that I’m here for you. We will figure this out. I don’t know what to do now, but you can always talk to me. I want you to be happy.”_

_Victor hugged him._

_“I know”_

_\---_

After Victor won his fifth gold at the Grand Prix Final, and a certain drunk Japanese skater was making a clown of himself and dragging Yakov’s own protégés into the mess, he was about to intervene and drag the man out of the room with his own two hands. But he had noticed Victor smiling a genuine smile for the first time in years _. I’m sorry I took so long to notice how you felt._ He retained himself from interfering. It took a lot of effort, especially when he noticed that the Japanese man started stripping, along with Victor’s Swiss friend. If this is what it took for Victor to be happy, then Yakov, as someone who cares for his wellbeing, would let it happen. Even if it took unbelievable amounts of self restraint. He pretended, for the moment, that he did not see what was happening. He would have a stern talk with that man’s coach later, and Christophe’s coach as well, because really, he was only encouraging that debauchery.

Yakov was even less happy when Victor said on a whim, a few months later, that he wants to coach that same drunk disaster of a man. Scratch that, he was furious. But he let him go. Maybe Victor needed it. If there was anything he wanted more than Victor’s success, it was Victor’s happiness. He just crossed his fingers that Victor would not mess up as a coach. Yakov told himself that Victor was an adult who could take care of himself. His absence will maybe give Yakov more energy to deal with the other skaters.

Or so he thought. When he woke up to find out Yuri flew off to Japan as well to find Victor, he let out a string of various swear words. Russian was truly a rich language, Yakov absentmindedly noted while counting off the different curses that rapidly flew out of his mouth. Victor leaving, less trouble? Somehow, that man defied all logic.

When Yakov entered the rink to train the other skaters, it was unusually silent. For a split second, he was glad to get a break from Yuri as well, until he remembered that Yuri was an unstable teen who needed guidance more than anything. For all his angry outbursts and stunted emotional growth, he was still just a kid. A kid that has a rocky relationship with his parents and who is the primary breadwinner for his family. A kid that Yakov has to take care of, because Yuri’s grandfather lived too far for that, and Yakov learned the hard way what happens when a skater’s emotions are not dealt with properly. He sighed, but he was not too worried. Victor would take care of him (he had no choice really, since he was the reason Yuri left), and Yuri will come back, because he needed Yakov and his resources to win. Victor’s choreography means nothing without proper training. There was nothing to be done about the situation other than to wait for Yuri to return. He decided to focus his energy on the others. Even though he only had half of his usual skaters present at the rink, they were still quite a handful to deal with.

Georgi, as opposed to the other male skaters under Yakov’s tutelage, did not have the same problems with expressing his feelings. He had a rich emotional life. Too rich, sometimes. But Yakov appreciated him for how receptive he was to instructions, unlike two other skaters that were currently in Japan, so he put up with his dramatic antics.

\--

_“Yakov, you’re the only one who understands me!” Georgi sobbed._

_Georgi had broken up with Anya, an ice dancer who trained under a different coach. To say he did not take it well would be a gross understatement. He was young and it was his first serious heartbreak. ‘It only gets harder from here kid,’ Yakov thought but did not voice._

_“Tell me how you want me to help, Georgi, and I will do my best,” Yakov said instead._

_“Will you help me create a program that would channel my heartbreak? You would know how it feels to be hurt like this by someone else, so you understand my pain.”_

_Yakov was seriously wondering where Georgi managed to find such wild ideas about his love life. Sure, his arguments with Lilia were explosive from time to time, but their divorce was civil. They simply understood that they were not compatible, and parted ways with no hard feelings. He was absolutely baffled by Georgi’s assumptions. Maybe the younger generation was unable to deal with their feelings, and so projected them unto others in order to process them. Who knew. That was not the point._

_“Okay Georgi. I will help you, but on two conditions.”_

_Georgi looked at him with hopeful eyes. “Yes? What are they?”_

_“First of all, you will be consistent with your theme. I don’t want you changing your mind as you suddenly fall in love with another girl and then you decide your program is no longer relevant to you.”_

_He nodded enthusiastically. “Yessir! What’s the second one?”_

_“For the love of god, get these crazy ideas about my love life out of your head and do not try to bond with me over heartaches. Understood?”_

_Georgi averted his eyes and blushed, murmuring a quiet “understood” before walking away._

_\---_

If Georgi was dramatic when heartbroken, then Mila was on a whole other level. When Yakov heard what she had done to the hockey player who cheated on her (though he did not entirely disapprove of her actions), he immediately searched for a lawyer, just in case the hockey player’s coach decided to sue for damages. Luckily, Mila was satisfied once she got her revenge, and went back to her skating as usual. She was eighteen and already one of the top female skaters of the world. Given a bit more discipline and time, she had the potential to be the best.

“Potential” was the key word. If she stopped goofing around and teasing Yura, maybe she could use that time to perfect her landings instead. She knew he had a volatile temper, and yet she persisted, because apparently, the selfish satisfaction she got from annoying the teen was more important than her success. Of course, Yakov knew that deep down, Mila was more serious than what he was giving her credit for, but her attitude did not reflect her status as one of the world’s female figure skating champions. Yakov sighed. By the age of eighteen, people were supposed to be more mature. Thinking about his missing world champion, however, made Yakov reconsider his stance. Some people could be insufferably selfish and immature even when approaching their thirties.

Speaking of selfish skaters who were approaching their thirties, Yakov could have never expected the said skater to ask him to take care of his student (who turned to be his lover too now, apparently) in the middle of a competition. As if handling a smaller, more explosive Yuri was not hard enough. He had no idea why he accepted, not after all the trouble Victor gave him.

Or so he pretended. Yakov knew exactly why he accepted. It was because Victor displayed the same vulnerability he did when he admitted that he lost inspiration. It was one of the rare times Victor displayed his true emotions, and Yakov could not bare to hurt him in that state. The idiot had wormed his way into Yakov’s heart. God, he was getting soft. He decided to blame it on his age. For the second time, Yakov had to watch Victor leave for Japan.

Katsuki was hard to read. Yakov had trained his fair share of skaters who had some sort of mental troubles, but having to be a stand-in coach for someone he did not know was challenging, even for someone as experienced as him. He had seen Yuuri perform the day before, and his high score proved that he was a force to be reckoned with. But he also researched him (because that banquet sure made its impression on Yakov, because he wanted to know the reason why Victor left, and because Yura would not shut up about him), so he knew that he was prone to inconsistency due to his stress.

Yuuri’s free skate was inconsistent indeed. Yakov was frustrated. Yuuri had the technical skill and the performance aspect drilled into him after incessant training, so why was he not succeeding? Why was he wasting Victor’s program like that? Yakov berated him at the kiss-and-cry for not making the best out of a program other skaters would die for. Yuuri, unpredictable Yuuri, hugged him in response and whispered thanks in Russian. Of course Katsuki understood the weight on his shoulders; he was crumbling under it. Of course Yuuri respected Victor; he understood him better than anyone. Recalling how the two mirrored each other’s gestures, how happy Victor looked, Yakov forgave this one less-than-stellar performance. “You are talented, Katsuki. You now have to show it,” he told him before Yuuri made his way to the airport, heading back to Japan

The Grand Prix Final went by in a flash. Mila placed third, and given her tendency to start the season slow, Yakov knew he could expect her to even win a gold later this season. He was proud of her. As for Yuri, his Senior debut was stunning. “You are as talented as you are troublesome,” Yakov said to him as his score was announced, before ruffling his hair. He was immensely proud of him too. Yuri, with his family problems and difficult personality, stood at the top of the world. He was also proud of Victor, for turning out to be not-so-terrible at coaching, if Katsuki’s score was anything to go by. Even Katsuki’s achievement made him happy, as he finally managed to prove himself to the world. Yakov was getting emotional, and he was really starting to think his age was getting to him.

\---

Victor came back to Russia with Yuuri to train. Yakov forgot how (relatively) peaceful it was without the five times world champion. He could sense the headaches coming from miles away. He was glad, however, for Yuuri’s calm, silent presence, when he was not mercilessly teased by the others. Between four overdramatic pupils, Yuuri was a breath of fresh air. Yakov knew he would come to appreciate him like he appreciated his own students.

Yakov watched them all as they won, as they failed, as they prepared, as they fell in and out of love. He watched as their flaws and their qualities shaped them as people. He guided them through all of it as much as he could. He beamed with pride at how Yuri channelled aggressiveness into perseverance instead, nodded in approval when Victor turned his impulsivity into inspiration, cheered on Mila as she used her brashness to command attention on the ice, applauded Georgi as he translated his feelings into graceful movement, and praised Katsuki for accepting that facing his fears made him a stronger person.

Yakov smiled to himself. There were two things he needed to sort out. He needed to give Victor some coaching advice, and also figure out a way to differentiate between the two Yuris. He was not sure if Victor would take his advice seriously, because he never obeyed, but maybe Katsuki’s presence would change things. As for the other problem, he figured he would use family names. He made the mistake of listening to Victor and used “Yurio” once, and that was not something he wanted to repeat. Yakov was a man who learned from his mistakes. Yakov sighed. Despite all the silliness, he loved his skaters with all his heart.

Yakov was never a family man. But he was still proud of his children.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! Here are a few remarks about the writing process:
> 
> \--Initially, I wanted to make this more emotional, but I found that too sappy so it turned out to be more humorous instead (or at least I think it's humorous? My sense of humour is dubious).
> 
> \-- I don't remember if Mila's ex-boyfriend's occupation was mentioned, but for some reason "hockey player" popped into my head and I kept it in because the idea of problems between coaches that would ensue was funny to me.
> 
> \--I really enjoyed writing Georgi, and he's probably my favourite part of this fic. He surprisingly got a bigger part than most characters here, because I was really inspired while writing it.
> 
> ***
> 
> Anyhow, If you liked this, please check out my other YOI fics:  
> \--[ **Looking into the Future, We Can See the Beginning**](http://archiveofourown.org/works/10022603) :  
>  A story from Victor's POV, recounting his childhood, the events of YOI, as well as some post-canon events, but it takes place in a world where homophobia does exist.  
> \--[ **Sinking Sands**](http://archiveofourown.org/works/11021844):  
>  A companion piece of sorts to the above fic, this time about Yurio's experience of homophobia.  
> \--[ **Your Love Will Make Me Stronger**](http://archiveofourown.org/works/9569753) :  
>  A short fic where Yuri experiences self doubt and Victor comforts him
> 
> Once more, thank you so much for reading! And as always, kudos and comments are appreciated :)


End file.
